Yesterday, as I ran to the store for a few much needed first-aid items, I noticed a couple of things that got the hamster wheel of dwarfish thought bubbles turning in my brain a notch or 12. As I traveled by the gent in the truck who simply couldn’t be inconvenienced with putting his cart away, my blood began to boil. Then, again, as I watched the ornery graybeard in the minivan nearly run down an entire family in front of the store, I seethed. My breaking point hit as I observed those same people take their precious time in front of the old cuss, just to make the point that they could --and to show their irritation in protest. The wheel was turning, the irritation brimming and I was ready to let it all out.   

Hence, in the spirit of venting (and without further adieu) I give you 22 things that cheese me off and the no asshole rule:

1.    People who can’t  put their basket in the cart return
2.    People who insist on taking 13 items through the 10 items or less line
3.    People who cut me off on the freeway --either for not paying attention or on purpose
4.    People who think they know everything
5.    Sanctimonious rank and file liberals
6.    Pharisaical rank and file conservatives
7.    People that have to be right, even when they aren’t
8.    People who don’t sing along with their car stereo
9.    People who have to report every virtuous deed they do
10.    People who hide behind motivational quotes and expressions
11.    People who hide behind the Bible (or any other sacred text)
12.    Hoi polloi who justify evil, using evil
13.    People who justify evil, using benevolence as a weapon
14.    People who simply cannot understand that 90% of mankind don’t fart rainbow glitter and that every individual on the planet is equally made up of good and evil --some, more of the latter and less of the former
15.    People who make-believe to be something they are not
16.    People who condone being themselves, when, frankly, being themselves is the most dreadful thing they could be
17.    People who believe you must be connected with religion in order to be a “good person”
18.    People who cannot enunciate the words, “abominable” or “cinnamon”
19.    People who had to look up what the word “enunciate” means
20.    People that believe they are funny, when they aren’t
21.    People who obliterate a joke, because they don’t think it’s funny
22.    People who talk or text during a movie (yes, you)


You see, I don’t necessarily require a long list of particulars that tick me off. Indeed, you probably don’t either. My problem is that the bulk of humankind lacks important ingredients of respect, ordinary good manners and human decency. It’s nonexistent each time I go to the store, it’s wanting at work (for those of you that work outside the home), it’s nearly nonexistent on Facebook, and it’s all of a sudden become, “Okay” with everyone, shrugged off as being "just the way it is". People have become apathetic to the discourtesy and lack of elementary respect for one another that such evil runs rampant in our streets.

Except me. I say, “No more.” From now on, I lay claim to the “No Asshole Rule”. And with that,  I challenge each and every one of you to not be an asshole (or to be a little less of one) everyday.  Try it. It might just be contagious.

And once you've mastered the no asshole rule, we can move on to how to start behaving --I'm just not overshooting on that one just yet. Baby steps and all.

How do you feel about the state of your fellow man? Do you feel there has been a decline when it comes to basic manners and respect?